Go Figure - Why Visitors Still Flock to Florida

Tourism has been one of the few bright spots amid a lagging economy. What's behind the big surge in visitors?

Facing a drop in domestic travel of 2 million visitors (5%) in 2009, officials in Orlando needed a way to draw more tourists without relying on recession-weakened America. So Visit Orlando began a new effort to reach out to Brazilians, a logical focus because of a new non-stop service to São Paulo and the country’s fast-growing middle class, flourishing economy and shortened visa wait times.

Beginning in 2009, and in conjunction with some of the city’s largest theme parks, Visit Orlando spent $1 million annually on a major marketing campaign in Brazil. The agency launched a special website in Portuguese, gave away free trips during morning talk shows and ran advertisements on television, in print and online.